The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of personal watercraft docking systems and more specifically relates to blu water lift systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Using a personal watercraft is a favorite past time for many people. Personal watercraft can frequently be seen while being used in the ocean or on lakes. A personal watercraft may be defined as a water-use vehicle that a rider sits or stands on (rather than inside of, as in a boat) and is typically less than 13 feet in length. Typically, personal watercraft have an inboard engine that drives a pump jet with a screw-shaped impeller to create thrust for both propulsion and steering. Due to the speed and maneuverability characteristics that personal watercraft possess, the military and some police departments use personal watercraft for patrol and enforcement activities.
Generally, personal watercraft are used in relatively small geographic areas or bodies of water and need a transport method to allow them to be moved to different locations. Over land, a small, wheeled trailer may be attached to a land vehicle, and the personal watercraft may be placed on the trailer and towed behind the land vehicle. If the user is also transporting a small boat to the location, then a second vehicle and an additional boat trailer may be needed, as well. Often, a pleasure boat may be used to transport the personal watercraft. In this case, a device is required to store and transport the personal watercraft, as well as provide a means to launch and retrieve the personal watercraft to and from the water. Launching systems, which may include hydraulic lifting mechanisms, can be complex and subject to reliability issues that relate to the operation of complex machines. A suitable solution is desired.
Several attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,463 to Giesler, U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,450 to Schmidt, U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,992 to Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,170 to Trowbridge, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,841 to Penick, et. al. This art is representative of personal watercraft docking systems. However, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Preferably, a personal watercraft docking system should provide a device to raise and lower a personal watercraft into water and to hold the personal watercraft for transport and, yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable blu water lift system to avoid the above-mentioned problems.